Jeremiæ 4
1 Si reverteris Israel, ait Dominus, ad me convertere: si abstuleris offendicula tua a facie mea, non commoveberis.
Israel, if you want to come back, then come back to me, declares the Lord. If you get rid of these disgusting idols I see, and don't wander away,
2 Et iurabis: Vivit Dominus in veritate, et in iudicio, et in iustitia: et benedicent eum Gentes, ipsumque laudabunt.
and if when you make your vows, you do so only to me, sincerely, truly, and honestly, then the nations will be blessed by me, and they will praise me.
3 Hæc enim dicit Dominus viro Iuda, et Ierusalem: Novate vobis novale, et nolite serere super spinas:
This is what the Lord is saying to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: Plow your unplowed ground, and don't sow among the thorns.
4 Circumcidimini Domino, et auferte præputia cordium vestrorum viri Iuda, et habitatores Ierusalem: ne forte egrediatur ut ignis indignatio mea, et succendatur, et non sit qui extinguat, propter malitiam cogitationum vestrarum.
Dedicate yourselves to the Lord; be totally committed to him, people of Judah and Jerusalem. Otherwise, my anger will blaze like fire, burning so hard that no one can put it out because of the evil you've done.
5 Annunciate in Iuda, et in Ierusalem auditum facite: loquimini, et canite tuba in terra: clamate fortiter, et dicite: congregamini, et ingrediamur civitates munitas:
Announce this warning throughout Judah and Jerusalem! Tell them: Blow the trumpet everywhere in the country! Shout out, “Hurry! Let's run to the fortified towns for protection!”
6 Levate signum in Sion. Confortamini, nolite stare, quia malum ego adduco ab Aquilone, et contritionem magnam.
Raise the danger flag; go to Zion! Find somewhere safe! Don't hesitate! I'm bringing enemies from the north who will cause terrible destruction.
7 Ascendit leo de cubili suo, et prædo Gentium se levavit: egressus est de loco suo ut ponat terram tuam in solitudinem: civitates tuæ vastabuntur, remanentes absque habitatore.
A lion has left his hiding place; a destroyer of nations has started out. He has left his den to come and turn your country into a wasteland. Your towns will be demolished, and no one will live there.
8 Super hoc accingite vos ciliciis, plangite et ululate: quia non est aversa ira furoris Domini a nobis.
Wear clothes made of sackcloth, weep and wail, crying out, “The Lord's furious anger against us hasn't stopped.”
9 Et erit in die illa, dicit Dominus: Peribit cor regis, et cor principum: et obstupescent sacerdotes, et prophetæ consternabuntur.
When that happens declares the Lord, the king and officials will lose heart, the priests will be devastated, and the prophets will be shocked.
10 Et dixi: Heu, heu, heu, Domine Deus, ergo ne decepisti populum istum et Ierusalem, dicens: Pax erit vobis: et ecce pervenit gladius usque ad animam?
Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, you have completely fooled the people of Jerusalem by telling them, ‘You will have peace,’ while holding a sword to our throats.”
11 In tempore illo dicetur populo huic et Ierusalem: Ventus urens in viis, quæ sunt in deserto viæ filiæ populi mei, non ad ventilandum, et ad purgandum.
At that time the people of Jerusalem will be told, “A burning wind from the bare hills of the desert is blowing toward the Jerusalem, but not to blow away the chaff or the dust.
12 Spiritus plenus ex his veniet mihi: et nunc ego loquar iudicia mea cum eis.
No, this wind is too strong for that, and it comes from me. Now I'm also going to tell them how I will punish them.”
13 Ecce quasi nubes ascendet, et quasi tempestas currus eius: velociores aquilis equi illius: Væ nobis! quoniam vastati sumus.
Look, he's rushing in like stormclouds; his chariots are like a whirlwind. His horses fly faster than eagles. “What a disaster! We're ruined!”
14 Lava a malitia cor tuum Ierusalem, ut salva fias: usquequo morabuntur in te cogitationes noxiæ?
Clean the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you can be saved. How long will you hold onto your evil thoughts?
15 Vox enim annunciantis a Dan, et notum facientis idolum de monte Ephraim.
News is shouted out from Dan, announcing disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16 Dicite gentibus: Ecce auditum est in Ierusalem custodes venire de terra longinqua, et dare super civitates Iuda vocem suam.
“Let the nations know! Look what's happening! Announce this to Jerusalem: An army is coming to besiege you from a distant country; shouting war-cries against the towns of Judah.
17 Quasi custodes agrorum facti sunt super eam in gyro: quia me ad iracundiam provocavit, dicit Dominus.
They encircle her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me, declares the Lord.
18 Viæ tuæ, et cogitationes tuæ fecerunt hæc tibi: ista malitia tua, quia amara, quia tetigit cor tuum.
You've brought this on yourself by your own attitudes and actions. This is your punishment, and it's so painful, it's like being stabbed in the heart!”
19 Ventrem meum, ventrem meum doleo, sensus cordis mei turbati sunt in me: non tacebo, quoniam vocem buccinæ audivit anima mea, clamorem prælii.
“I'm in agony, absolute agony! My heart is breaking! It's beating wildly in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I can't keep quiet because I've heard the trumpet, the signal for battle.
20 Contritio super contritionem vocata est, et vastata est omnis terra: repente vastata sunt tabernacula mea, subito pelles meæ.
News of one disaster after another comes flooding in, for the whole country is in ruins. My own home is destroyed in a moment, and everything inside.
21 Usquequo videbo fugientem, audiam vocem buccinæ?
How long do I have to see the flags of war and hear the trumpets of battle?”
22 Quia stultus populus meus me non cognovit: filii insipientes sunt, et vecordes: sapientes sunt ut faciant mala, bene autem facere nescierunt.
“My people are stupid; they don't know me. They are foolish children who just don't understand. They're experts at doing evil, but they don't know how to do good.”
23 Aspexi terram, et ecce vacua erat, et nihili: et cælos, et non erat lux in eis.
I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; I looked to the heavens, and its light was gone.
24 Vidi montes, et ecce movebantur: et omnes colles conturbati sunt.
I looked at the mountains, and saw that they were shaking; all the hills were swaying to and fro.
25 Intuitus sum, et non erat homo: et omne volatile cæli recessit.
I looked, and nobody was left; all the birds had flown away.
26 Aspexi, et ecce Carmelus desertus: et omnes urbes eius destructæ sunt a facie Domini, et a facie iræ furoris eius.
I looked, and the productive fields were a desert. All the towns were demolished because of the Lord's furious anger.
27 Hæc enim dicit Dominus: Deserta erit omnis terra, sed tamen consummationem non faciam.
This is what the Lord says: “The whole country will be devastated, but I won't do so completely.
28 Lugebit terra, et mœrebunt cæli desuper: eo quod locutus sum, cogitavi, et non pœnituit me, nec aversus sum ab eo.
The earth will mourn and the heavens above will go dark. I have spoken; this is what I have ordered. I'm not going to stop or change my mind.”
29 A voce equitis, et mittentis sagittam fugit omnis civitas: ingressi sunt ardua, et ascenderunt rupes: universæ urbes derelictæ sunt, et non habitat in eis homo.
People from every town: run away when they hear the enemy horsemen and archers coming. They hide in the forest and among the rocks. All the towns are abandoned; no one lives in them.
30 Tu autem vastata quid facies? Cum vestieris te coccino, cum ornata fueris monili aureo, et pinxeris stibio oculos tuos, frustra componeris: contempserunt te amatores tui, animam tuam quærent.
You, Jerusalem, now desolate, what are you going to do? Even though you dress in scarlet clothes, and put on gold jewelry, and paint your eyes with make-up, all your dressing-up is pointless! Your lovers hate you; they want to kill you!
31 Vocem enim quasi parturientis audivi, angustias ut puerperæ: Vox filiæ Sion intermorientis, expandentisque manus suas: Væ mihi, quia defecit anima mea propter interfectos!
I hear the cries like a woman in labor, the agonizing moans of a woman giving birth to her first child. These are the cries of the Daughter of Zion gasping for air, holding out her hands, saying, “Please help me, I'm being murdered!”
